An OverviewIn view of escalating number of terrorist attacks security situation further deteriorated as militants stepped up their assaults against Pakistani security forces and anti-Taliban peace committees in tribal areas and Khyber Pkhtunkhwa (KP). Meanwhile after a series of high profile attacks by the Haqqani Network against the US forces in Afghanistan, American political and military leadership increased diplomatic pressure on Pakistan to destroy the hideouts and sanctuaries of the network in North Waziristan along with intensifying drone strikes in the tribal region. Owing to precarious security situation in Bara subdivision of Khyber Agency Pakistan army launched a military operation there. After about three years, rival factions in Kurram Agency have signed a peace agreement to restore peace in the area. The agreement has been signed after the government promised to provide security on the main Thall-Parachinar highway in the region.

In order to overcome the lacunae in anti-terror laws Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has directed the interior and law ministries to propose comprehensive amendments in the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 2010. In reply to government’s offer for peace talks Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the banned conglomerate of pro Al-Qaeda and anti-state militant groups in the tribal areas, has welcomed the government’s offer for peace talks with all insurgent groups provided government scuttles its relationship with the United States and enforces Islamic Sharia in the country.

This reporting month a total of 182 attacks—including one suicide attack—were reported across Pakistan claiming 155 lives and causing 249 injuries. FATA was the worst affected area where 63 nationalist insurgent attacks left 48 people dead 98 others wounded; whereas with 60 terrorist attacks KP was the second most volatile area where 47 people were killed and 84 others were injured. In Balochistan—the third worst hit area of the country—53 attacks left same number of people dead and 58 others wounded. Meanwhile three terrorist attacks and 36 incidents of ethno political violence claimed lives of 42 people and caused injuries to 22 others. Meanwhile situation in Punjab, interior Sindh, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir was peaceful. (See Chart 1)

Chart 1: Terrorist Attacks in Pakistan in October 2011

If the casualties in terrorist attacks, operational attacks by the security forces and their clashes with the militants, inter-tribal clashes and cross border attacks throughout the country are counted collectively, the overall number of casualties reaches 411 killed and 333 injured. In two incidents of inter-tribal clashes six people were killed; while 36 incidents of ethno-political violence left same number of people dead and 20 others injured. This month in 8 US drone strikes at least 41 suspected militants were killed and 16 were injured. (See Table 2)

Table 2: Nature of Attacks

Type of attack/clash

Number of attacks/clashes

Killed

Injured

Terrorist/insurgent attacks

182

155

249

Clashes b/w security forces and militants

22

141

35

Operational attacks by security forces

9

32

13

Drone attacks

8

41

16

Border clashes

-

-

-

Political and ethnic violence

36

36

20

Inter-tribal clashes

2

6

-

Total

259

411

333

If a comparison of last three months security situation is carried out with this month’s security landscape a mixed trend is visible. The overall number of attacks and incidents of violence have substantially increased from 215 to 259 due to upsurge of terrorist attacks in FATA and KP. Meanwhile the sharp decrease in casualty figure is due to less number civilians killed and injured in this month (151 killings & 181 injuries) compared to civilian casualties in September (241 killings & 342 injuries). (See Chart 3)

Chart 3: Comparison with Six Months’ Figure

This month militants suffered highest number of casualties with 215 life losses and 58 injuries. Majority of them were killed in security forces operation attacks, US drone strikes and their clashes with the security forces. The second highest number of casualties is of the civilians with 151 life losses and 181 injuries. In the terrorist attacks and their clashes with the militants the security forces lost 45 personnel among them 23 FC, 16 police, 3 army and same number of Levies personnel. While 94 others including 32 FC, 20 police, 33 army, 2 Levies personnel and 7 men belonging to other paramilitary forces were injured. (See Table 4, 4a)

Table 4: Detail of Casualties September 2011

Among a variety of tactics used by the militants the most commonly used tactic was of firing with 45 reported incidents; while rocket attacks were the second most commonly used method with 39 reported incidents. With 30 reported incidents Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were third most commonly used tactic of attacks. (See Table 5)